After the Storm
by alphayamergo
Summary: 'And there with come a time, you'll see, where there's no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.' -After the Storm, Mumford and Sons. AU Susan/Peter.


**A/N: I wrote this because the song is so perfect for the pairing it's scary. Oh, by the way, this is firmly set in AU. Peter and Susan were never related.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia. Unfortunately.**

Susan was crying.

She was crying for her parents, for her siblings, her parents, the friends of Narnia, and, most of all, Peter.

Her hair was plastered to her face as she kneeled in the grass before their graves, rain pouring down around her. She looked up, glaring at the sky.

"Why?" she screamed up at the sky.

Then she was thrown back into her memories.

o

It was dawn, and Susan was woken by a bump in the hall. She rose quickly from her bed, touching Lucy's shoulder. Lucy awoke with a start, and stayed silent as she followed Susan out of the room.

They caught a glimpse of Peter down the end of the hall. Not wanting to wake their parents, they followed him. Lucy darted into Peter and Edmund's room.

Edmund emerged from his room, followed closely by Lucy. "What's wrong, sister?"

Susan put a finger to her lips. "Peter's just left the hall, brother," she whispered in reply. Edmund nodded, and they made off again.

They found Peter standing outside, at the edge of the yard. He didn't notice them leave the house, or them approaching him. He was watching the Sun rise, staring at it. Susan made her way to him. She took him by the hand. Lucy stood to Susan's left and Edmund to Peter's right – their traditional order. The stood tall and remember their own land of Narnia.

Susan glanced at Peter and saw one stray tear run down his cheek.

o

The grass Susan and Peter were sitting in was soft as they laughed and talked. Surrounded by grass, they were alone for the first time in a while.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Susan said, anxiously. Peter was just back from war against the giants.

"And I'm glad you're home," Peter replied. "It seemed you were at the Lone Islands for an awfully long time."

"You were right," Susan murmured, looking at the grass. Then she glanced up again. "But don't let it go to your head."

"I would never dream of it, Queen." Peter grinned at her. He glanced around and picked up a flower. He tucked it behind Susan's ear.

Susan smiled slightly, brushing back her hair. "Thank you, dear king."

"You're welcome," Peter replied. He stood, offering his hand to Susan. Susan took and she, too, stood up. Peter kissed her hand, half-mockingly. Susan laughed and hugged him.

Peter kissed her cheek before the two headed back to Cair Paravel.

o

Susan clung to the memory of the last time she kissed Peter. She missed Peter; she missed the king she married.

The thing that had hurt her worst in all of her life was when Peter introduced a girl to their parents, telling them that he was courting her. He hadn't met Susan's eyes when he entered the house with her, or for days after. It had been a girl she had known at school – one of her best friends!

After that, she had cut herself off from Peter. The best way she could see to do that was to deny Narnia, and so she had. But that had taken her away from her brother and sister, from her cousin, from Jill, from the Professor and from Aunt Polly as well. She had regretted it from the beginning but could see no way to go back.

And now look where she was! Susan laughed bitterly. If only she could have swallowed her pride. If only she hadn't let Peter go. Maybe if she had done something, they would still be alive. Or at least she would be dead, like the rest of them.

But that was impossible now. The time to do any of that was long gone, and Susan was left with a whole lot of if only's and what if's.

o

"Helen?" Peter called, walking into the living room. He glanced around; looking either was for his adopted mother. Susan glanced up from the book she was reading and stiffened at the sight of the girl just behind Peter.

It couldn't… Surely not! Surely Peter wouldn't do something like that to her. Surely he wouldn't! It was impossible!

She hoped desperately that this was true. She was so wrapped up in her hope that she did not recognize the face of the girl behind Peter. Not until Susan's mother, Helen walked into the room. "Peter! Who is this?"

"Yes, Peter," Susan said. "Who is this?" Peter would not meet her eyes and Susan's last hope was crushed.

"Susan, don't you recognize me?" the girl asked. "It's me, Alice!"

_Alice._ Susan felt chilled to the bone as she glared at Peter. _Alice!_ It was bad enough he had to choose someone new, but one of the few friends she had made back in England?

"Helen, this is Alice," Peter began. Susan knew what was coming next. She slammed the book closed and left the room.

Lucy joined her minutes later. "Oh, Susan!" she cried, throwing her arms around her. "I can't believe he would do that to you!"

Susan didn't reply. It was only when Edmund appeared that she snapped out of it.

"How could he do this to me?" she whispered. "Did I mean nothing to him?"

"No, Susan!" Lucy replied. "He looked at you like you were the only thing in the world. He'll – he'll stop courting her soon. I _know_ he won't betray you in such a way!"

He never did stop courting Alice. And Susan learned to cope with it the only way she could think of.

o

And Susan would die alone. She wanted to scream and cry and collapse all at the same time when she thought about it. It was painfully to know that she would never have somebody close to her, at her bedside, when she died.

"Oh, Susan, Susan," she muttered to herself, rocking herself backwards and forth. "What are you going to do with yourself?"

And if there was an answer to that, Susan didn't know it.

**A/n: This story kind of gained a mind of its own half way through. As those of you who actually listened to the song might have noticed.**


End file.
